AMP PROVIDES WHOLESALE SERVICE TO 129 MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC UTILITIES
New York, January 06, 2012 -- Moody's has affirmed the A1 issuer rating on American Municipal
Power Inc. The rating considers the strong cost recovery framework
of the municipal electric utilities that are participants; the A1
credit quality of the participants; AMP's satisfactory financial
position; and fundamental strengths of AMP's diverse and competitive
power supply portfolio. Moody's has also maintained the rating
on AMP's project ratings on $4.7 billion of revenue
debt. See debt statement on page 3.
AMP has 129 members in seven states (Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky,
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia).
During 2011, more than 70% of sales revenue came from Ohio-based
municipal electric utilities. The participants have near-monopoly
status in their service areas and set rates locally without external regulation.
AMP was established by a state statute and operates like a joint power
agency. It is governed by a 20-member Board of Trustees
made up of officials from member municipalities.
Outlook
Moody's believes AMP's management and its sound resource planning will
be key factors in it maintaining a stable credit position. AMP's
plan to strengthen its liquidity and management of generation operating
risks is an important factor in outlook.
What Could Change the Rating Down
The rating could be lowered if tthere is a change in the overall credit
quality of the participants or if there is a deterioration of financial
performance or liquidity. The rating coudl also come under proessure
if the AMP generation projects that are under construction experience
significant cost overruns and impact the agency's competitive position
and pressure participant's compliance with power supply agreements or
AMP is not able to manage its new generation risks.
What Could Change the Rating Up
The successful completion of the shift to more generation ownership;
improvement in participant credit quality and further improvement in the
AMP's competitive cost structure could factor in upward pressure on the
rating.
Fundamentals
Strengths
» Competitive position of municipal utility participants with an
average 20% rate advantage and sound strategic plan to position
cost structure in longer term
» Certainty in cost recovery due to sound AMP power supply contracts
with its members; the unregulated rate setting authority of AMP member
municipal utilities, including AMP's statutory authority to increase
its wholesale rates on a timely basis and members' ability to pass on
purchased power costs to retail customers. Non-Ohio participants
have sound state statutes regarding take-or-pay contracts
» No direct retail competition for municipal electric utilities in
each state served
» Average weighted credit quality of the diverse group of AMP"s member
cities is in A1 range
» Strong contract enforcement provisions including AMP's authority
in the event of a contract default by a member, in addition to AMP's
credit monitoring system which provides an early warning of fiscal stress
» The level and availability of internal and external financial liquidity
with bank line agreements with satisfactory terms and conditions
» Demonstrated record of success in managing power supply for AMP's
member municipal electric utilities
» Fully funded debt service reserves for individual separately-secured
generation project debt. No cross default between projects
Challenges
» Strategic plan to shift from market to generation ownership has
increased leverage but typical for JPA
» Future borrowing for hydro and combined cycle generation projects
will increase overall leverage
» Managing power supply purchases in restructured wholesale electricity
market
» Costs associated with environmental compliance at Gorsuch Station
and future greenhouse gas regulations at Prairie State
» Some member utilities have customer dominance and above average
retail rates
» Unemployment in region AMP serves is above average
The principal methodology used in this rating was U.S. Municipal
Joint Power Agencies published in September 2006. Please see the
Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
Although this credit rating has been issued in a non-EU country
which has not been recognized as endorsable at this date, this credit
rating is deemed "EU qualified by extension" and may still
be used by financial institutions for regulatory purposes until 31 January
2012. ESMA may extend the use of credit ratings for regulatory
purposes in the European Community for three additional months,
until 30 April 2012, if ESMA decides that exceptional circumstances
arise that may imply potential market disruption or financial instability.
Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's
office that has issued a particular Credit Rating is available on www.moodys.com.
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
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this announcement provides relevant regulatory disclosures in relation
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Dan Aschenbach
Senior Vice President
Public Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
John Medina
Analyst
Public Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
MOODY'S AFFIRMS AMERICAN MUNICIPAL POWER INC. A1 ISSUER RATING;OUTLOOK STABLE